The festive decorations come down tomorrow and you can’t put off your New Year fitness plans any longer.

The festive decorations come down tomorrow and you can’t put off your New Year fitness plans any longer. Rachel Mainwaring looks at some of the new trends, which could entice you to get into shape during 2013

AQUA ZUMBA

Zumba was massive last year and Aqua Zumba takes the high energy fun of a traditional dance class into the water.

The international and Latin music combined with high energy moves led by Zumba instructors create an atmosphere reminiscent of a Miami pool party, so you’ll be having so much fun you won’t even realise you are getting fit.

Known as the Zumba pool party, Aqua Zumba gives new meaning to an invigorating workout with splashing, twisting and plenty of laughs.

It is due to be introduced to Virgin Active heath centres around the UK this year.

Contact your local one in Ocean Way, Cardiff, Cwmbran, Bridgend and Llandarcy.

CARDIO TENNIS

If Andy Murray inspired you to play some tennis with his Olympic and US Open wins but you’re not a confident player and would prefer to do something in a group, this could be the exercise regime for you.

Cardio tennis, which can burn up to 600 calories an hour, is a series of tennis-based drills and activities played to up-tempo music on a tennis court.

It doesn’t require tennis skills, but is all about keeping the heart rate up, burning calories and having fun.

Whether the ball goes in or out is irrelevant as the main purpose is to get fit. It includes a warm-up, cardio workout and cool down phases.

It takes place on a tennis court, run by a qualified tennis coach and the main purpose is to provide you with an enjoyable workout, not about forehands and backhands. It’s all about getting in your appropriate cardio zone and getting a great workout to the music.

When people are dancing they tend to forget they are exercising and Just Jhoom! could quite easily become the fitness craze of 2013.

Meaning Just Dance, it draws on a range of dance styles from classic Indian to bhangra with dashes of hip-hop, jive and jazz.

It is energetic, loads of fun and very tongue-in-cheek.

Inspired by the glitz and glamour of Bollywood films, Just Jhoom! is the first and only accredited Bollywood dance-fitness programme in the UK.

If you’re bored with the gym but determined to get fit, Just Jhoom! might be the thing to entice you back to exercise after the festive break. The strengthening exercises provide a really good workout without you even realising you are getting fit.

If you loved Powerplates, it’s certainly worth giving the Core-Tex a go. Classes centre around a clever piece of kit which features a platform that moves freely in circular motions creating an unstable surface.

The Core-Tex allows for an almost infinite number of moves ranging from sport specific applications to maximise training and minimise injury risk.

It encourages movement and change of direction to maximise the integration of the body’s receptors from the foot and ankle all the way up to neck, eyes and inner ears – so provides a whole body work-out.

During a 20-minute “Fast Class” you work through four sections – mobility, strength, interaction and challenge – which help to increase strength and mobility. It is designed to particularly engage your core but the range of exercises means the whole body gets a workout.

If too much celebrating over the party season has taken its toll and your body is crying out for a much-needed New Year detox, then Hot Bikram Yoga might be the class for you.

Bikram Yoga is the nation’s fastest growing form of yoga and it involves a 90-minute session which takes place in a room heated to 40ºC with 40% humidity.

This can help steam off those stubborn excess pounds, flush out toxins and burn up to 600 calories at one time.

Hot pilates is also hot on its heels, providing a similar experience to hot yoga, only using the moves from pilates, which aim to improve core strength and flexibility.

TRX SUSPENSION TRAINING

This year, for the first time, body weight training appears in the Top 10 Fitness Trends for the New Year, according to recent research by the American College of Sports Medicine.

The TRX (basically a resistance workout for any muscle group) is perfect for gentle rehabilitation, hardcore athletic training, and everything in between.

Traditional weight training often only works one muscle at a time, but this can lead to overuse injuries and muscular imbalances, as well as potentially limit strength and movement gains.

Suspension Training allows for the use of multiple planes of motion and works multiple muscles and joints simultaneously.

To ease into suspension training it is best to choose five to six exercises that are suitable to your fitness level and do a single set of each working at 10 to 12 repetitions. Once you feel comfortable with the movements you can progress a number of ways.

Try to slowly introduce more challenging resistances, increase the number of exercises and the volume of your workout in terms of sets and reps and decrease the rest you take between each movement and between sets.